Summary: Set in S4 after Jeremy was killed. What if Damon hadn't had her turn her humanity off? What happens when Katherine shows up in person at the boarding house?
"No, no, no, no. I can't. I can't," Elena Gilbert sobbed.678Please respect copyright.PENANAoV2uEm6OND
The match she held burned her and she let go. Before it could hit the floor though, Stefan Salvatore caught it and put it out.678Please respect copyright.PENANAJrFpnN3BM4
"Listen to me, Elena. You can do this," Damon encouraged her. "Let me help you."678Please respect copyright.PENANAglnfARUTwA
She dropped to her knees and sobbed.678Please respect copyright.PENANAHMCE30mXNF
He knelt down by her.678Please respect copyright.PENANAlHHhgVidpr
"I can help you."678Please respect copyright.PENANARFD7F4WgC8
She wrapped her arms around Damon Salvatore and sobbed into his shoulder. As she did, he wrapped gentle arms around her and looked up at his brother.678Please respect copyright.PENANApObUH7eNu1
"We have to do something. She won't be able to live like this," he told his little brother.678Please respect copyright.PENANAdouHX7aF8w
"I know."678Please respect copyright.PENANAhvHSTtctpP
He looked at Elena again.678Please respect copyright.PENANALqRUFVCM1G
"I can help you, Elena but right now, I want you to come home with me."
Half an hour later, she and Damon were in Damon's room. Elena was seated on his bed and Damon was seated beside her.678Please respect copyright.PENANATIckTXAHJW
"It'll be okay, Elena. You'll get through it."678Please respect copyright.PENANAXc6QN0tARu
"Have you been like this before?"
"Well, not like you are, obviously but I have some experience with losing someone close. You know the basics, but you don't know what happened before Katherine."678Please respect copyright.PENANA890n6ZNg6O
"What happened? Whom did you lose?"678Please respect copyright.PENANA5jIoMPTOUL
"We lost our mother. After that, we vowed to stay close and to never let a girl get between us."678Please respect copyright.PENANAJf8DhVMa1h
"But Katherine did."678Please respect copyright.PENANAd4KVlQukid
"Yes. But not until after I met her. Stefan met her while I was fighting in the war. I met her after I came home on leave to see Stefan."678Please respect copyright.PENANAt2nbRJSKJl
"So, wait, you were in the war?"678Please respect copyright.PENANAzDJTNMbTlF
"Yes. For the South; and that is not something you forget. My point is that time heals some things. It did for me."678Please respect copyright.PENANALbVWyciVOZ
"How?"678Please respect copyright.PENANAk66jGCQ3gP
"By enjoying everything life can give you. And you have people that are willing to help you in every way."678Please respect copyright.PENANAPmQid812sP
"Thank you, Damon."678Please respect copyright.PENANAF2DywKX79j
"You are very welcome, Elena."678Please respect copyright.PENANAEECoIlB1lf
"Am I interrupting something?" came the voice.678Please respect copyright.PENANAyVT3aNIijm
They looked to see Katherine Pierce standing in the threshold, the cure in one hand.678Please respect copyright.PENANAlSZCBxYQNd
"I assume you want this. That's why you're looking for me. We can give Elena half and I can use the rest to Klaus. Assuming Elena wants the cure. Or shove it down either Klaus' or Silas' throat. Pick either one, but I vote for Silas. He's awake and that's bad news. Klaus can be dealt with another time."678Please respect copyright.PENANAJNxtt4t4B8
"How brave of you to come here after everything," Damon commented, as he glared at her.678Please respect copyright.PENANAVCIVRacDnU
"It's not my fault Silas killed him. All I needed was the cure. I didn't know he was going to kill him. But I wanted to get it and then go," she explained.678Please respect copyright.PENANAB2RipFkM2C
She set it down on the table and walked into the room.678Please respect copyright.PENANAoKGVOlzTdH
At vamp speed, Elena pinned her to a wall with a hand around her throat.678Please respect copyright.PENANAGOeaFgx470
"Don't," Elena growled in warning and anger. She wanted to rip her head off, but knew they needed answers and she had them. "You have no right to come in here and talk about my brother!"678Please respect copyright.PENANAZbH7f2H6hA
"I was trying to apologize. I know what it's like to have all your human family killed," she explained through the pain from Elena's too tight of a hold. "Elena, please," she added in almost a whisper.678Please respect copyright.PENANAL6PWYqaMdg
She knew Elena was upset, but she didn't need to be so rough. She knew if Elena didn't let go, she was going to black out. She was already hurt. Now she couldn't breathe and her vision was dim and gray.678Please respect copyright.PENANAxi3wXyVBzD
Damon saw that Elena had too tight of a hold on her and saw Kat's reaction. Then he smelled the mixture of hybrids and her blood. That's when he knew he had to help her. She was dying. No wonder she had said she didn't want Klaus dead yet. She had been apologized.678Please respect copyright.PENANASG6vVl4JsG
He was instantly at Elena's side.678Please respect copyright.PENANAELYDmOLGYb
"Elena, let go," he said, as he used the Sire bond to make sure she'd do what he asked of her.678Please respect copyright.PENANAFoPKrs6Teb
Elena let go and stepped back, as she wondered what was wrong. As she did, Katherine slid down the walk with her back up against it. She coughed and gasped as she sat there with her eyes closed.678Please respect copyright.PENANA4rtKRvh13l
Damon knelt down beside his Sire.678Please respect copyright.PENANAP9UD1ysg6s
"Damon?" Elena questioned.678Please respect copyright.PENANAnNuC1xha7d
"Bitten by hybrids," he told her.678Please respect copyright.PENANAiiNQZryyvJ
"That's what that smell is?"678Please respect copyright.PENANAfKgg2xU6Qg
"Yes."678Please respect copyright.PENANAj6sQppDmHp
The elder vampiress stopped gasping and coughing. She felt extremely weak and tired, as she dimly heard their conversation.678Please respect copyright.PENANA2DYDK6M61L
He looked at his Sire. She looked so pale to him.678Please respect copyright.PENANAWU6IRZGsAb
Her head rolled to the left and he gently used his hand to keep her head up.678Please respect copyright.PENANAvt26Ocxk6O
"Katherine, can you hear me?" he called.678Please respect copyright.PENANAPCYDRovb2P
"Damon," she whispered.678Please respect copyright.PENANAgGLEfBp3Hw
"How long ago? I'm going to help you."678Please respect copyright.PENANAeKzkiyn8RD
"Two hours," she whispered.678Please respect copyright.PENANAQwwwRt4kwA
As he picked her up in his arms to get her on his bed, she went limp as she blacked out.
Once he had her on his bed, he sat on her bedside and looked at Elena.678Please respect copyright.PENANAk8EXAPrP2F
"Go see if there's anything left of the cure in the basement."678Please respect copyright.PENANAeQEstGTTk1
He watched her vanish to go obey him.
Half an hour later, he had given the cure to her and they both were standing at her bedside.678Please respect copyright.PENANAXDzXHBUCCA
Kat groaned, as she came to.678Please respect copyright.PENANAS6Yr3O5YBw
When she woke up, she saw that she was on his bed and they were both looking down at her.678Please respect copyright.PENANAaNVi3x7gM3
"Welcome back," he greeted her.678Please respect copyright.PENANAYUr7Jd4iH8
"Thanks," she replied.678Please respect copyright.PENANArgN6ANTamc
Kat sat up in bed and smiled warmly at them.678Please respect copyright.PENANANk3zJYiNin
Elena smiled back.678Please respect copyright.PENANAdUSrNq1XSD
Damon just looked down at her.678Please respect copyright.PENANATkwTSbxXE2
"You saved my life," she added.678Please respect copyright.PENANA1kiPJyxYyj
"You're welcome," Elena said with sympathy.678Please respect copyright.PENANAAop8VaegEz
She knew Elena was trying to apologize.678Please respect copyright.PENANA31KZVSG2Qb
"It's okay, Elena," she assured the youngest vampiress out of the three of them.